Fernando Torres faces a race against time to be fit for Spain’s opening match at World Cup 2010, according to Liverpool FC's new head of sports medicine and sports science, Peter Bruckner.

The 26-year-old’s recovery from a second operation in three months to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee is going well but Liverpool FC do not want to rush his rehabilitation as it is key he is fully fit for the start of next season.

However, with Spain's World Cup campaign just over a month away Bruckner accepts a balance has to be struck as the player is desperate to feature in South Africa.

"He’s doing well and he’s certainly tremendously committed to his rehab, as are the staff here, and if anyone can recover from an injury, he can," said Bruckner, who will head to South Africa with Australia before returning to take up a permanent role at the club’s Melwood training ground.

"You can’t be absolutely certain of anything but at this stage, if he continues to progress the way he is, he should be fit to play at some stage during the World Cup.

"Whether he’ll be fit for the first game (on June 16) or not is uncertain."

Bruckner added: "We’re anxious not to hurry him along too much because we want the long-term benefit, but we’re aware he’s got the short-term goal of playing in the World Cup.

"Hopefully we can get a compromise between those two where he plays in the World Cup and he’s fit and well for Liverpool next season."

Torres underwent initial surgery in January but aggravated the problem during the Europa League win against Benfica last month.

“He had his initial surgery a few months ago and made a reasonably good recovery from that,” added Bruckner.

“But then in the first few minutes of the Benfica game here at Anfield, he hyper-extended his knee and re-injured it.

“He still managed to score a few goals, so even on one leg he’s not too bad, is he?

“We felt that even with a period of rest it wasn’t going to heal by itself and it needed another telescopic surgery just to trim the area that’s been torn.